History: (Incredible Hulk Annual#9)- The members of the Gotham Game Club had each been involved in World War 2, but as the years had dragged on, they found themselves restless, no longer finding the challenges of business or gaming stimulating enough. Finally, Charles Reigel declared that they would take on a new challenge-- the next time that the Hulk appeared in New York, they would each attempt to kill him. They all agreed to his plan.

By the time the Hulk finally did appear, they were ready to set their plans into motion, having decided that each man would choose a means of death based upon a chess piece. First, Peter Niven tried to bring down the Hulk with a helicopter at the World Trade Center (the twin towers representing pawns), but the Hulk overcame his assault and destroyed the vehicle.

Next, Earnest Stone assaulted the Hulk with a tank at a castle in Central Park (the castle representing a rook), but the Hulk destroyed his tank.

Franklin Knight attacked the Hulk with a car armed with laser guns at Rockefeller Center (Knight himself representing a knight), but the Hulk destroyed the car, and Knight was trapped inside the vehicle, ultimately landing in a coma. The other members began to be afraid that the Hulk would kill them, but Reigel spurred them on, and convinced them to continue their game.

Gideon Turkel attacked the Hulk with a bazooka nearby St. Patrick's Cathedral (representing a bishop), and led him into a trap in the sewers where he attempted to destroy the Hulk with an oil fire, but the Hulk broke his way through the roof and escaped.

James Logan attacked the Hulk with a helicopter, disguised as a police helicopter, and led him out to the luxury liner Ocean Queen, nearby the Statue of Liberty ("the Queen of the Harbor"). Logan assaulted the Hulk with the liner's powerful canons, but the Hulk smashed the canons, and sunk the liner.

Now only Reigel remained, and he set his trap at the Empire State Building (once called "king of the skyscrapers"), in the King Bakery offices on the top floor. By this time, the Hulk's alter ego of Bruce Banner had realized what was going on, and confronted Reigel at the office. Unaware of who Banner was, Reigel tried to shoot him, and the stress transformed Banner into the Hulk.

Reigel ran into his laboratory, and released the six robots he had constructed which each represented a chess piece. He set the six robots against the Hulk, but the Hulk destroyed them all. Unwilling to accept defeat, Reigel flung himself at the Hulk. The Hulk shook him through the air, then deposited him at the feet of detective Joshua Wade, who had determined what Reigel's plan was. Reigel, still stunned that someone had beaten him at a game, was taken away by Wade. The remaining members of the club observed Reigel's plight, but evidently avoided detection by the police.

Comments: Created by Doug Moench, Steve Ditko and Al Milgrom.

I can't believe such a blatant reference to Gotham City made it into a Marvel book!

Given their apparent ages, references to World War II are likely topical,
and the World Trade Centers probably are, too.--Snood.

Franklin Knight was the owner of the Daily Crusader newspaper, and had been a soldier-of-fortune during World War 2. He set up an attack on the Hulk at Rockefeller Center, using a car which fired laser blasts from its roof, but when he tried to ram the Hulk, the Hulk flung it aside into a building. Knight was trapped inside the vehicle, and was found comatose when emergency workers pulled him out.

--Incredible Hulk Annual#9

James Logan was a shipping magnate, and had been a gunrunner for the Nazis during World War 2. He set up an attack on the Hulk, using a fake police helicopter to draw him out to the luxury liner Ocean Queen, nearby the Statue of Liberty. He first used an attack boat to assault the Hulk with torpedoes, but the Hulk survived the attack, and unleashed a handclap that flung Logan back to the liner. He manned the liner's powerful canons against the Hulk, but the Hulk withstood them, and tore the canon apart, causing the liner to explode. Logan managed to swim to safety.

--Incredible Hulk Annual#9

Peter Niven was a stockbroker and real estate manager with offices in the World Trade Center, and had been a saboteur for the Nazis during World War 2. He set up an attack on the Hulk at the World Trade Center, assaulting him with a helicopter which fired laser blasts, but the Hulk destroyed the helicopter. Niven managed to bail out before it crashed to the ground.

--Incredible Hulk Annual#9

Earnest Stone was the president of a large construction and real estate firm, and had been a smuggler during World War 2. He set up an attack on the Hulk at a castle in Central Park, using a tank which fired powerful shells at him, but the Hulk easily attacked the tank and tore it apart. Stone managed to escape during the confusion.

--Incredible Hulk Annual#9

Gideon Turkel was the chariman of a multi-national conglomerate, and had been a corrupt missionary during world War 2. He set up an attack on the Hulk nearby St. Patrick's Cathedral, using a bazooka to make the Hulk chase him into the sewers. He spilled a drum of oil into the Hulk's path and set it on fire, hoping to kill him, but the Hulk managed to break through the roof and escape.

Jessica Sparling was a television reporter for On-The-Spot news, who found herself covering the Hulk's activities in New York as he clashed with the Gotham Game Club. She warned viewers at home that the many lights and sounds of New York would keep the Hulk agitated, making him particularly dangerous. Jessica met with detective Joshua Wade, and the two shared some information. Wade promised her a drink when it was over.

--Incredible Hulk Annual#9

Joshua Wade was a police detective who found himself cleaning up after each of the Gotham Game Club's members' clashes with the Hulk. He was assisted by reporter Jessica Sparling, and promised to go out for drinks with her. He finally came to realize that the connection between the attacks were pieces from a chess game, and arrived on the scene at the Empire State Building just as the Hulk had defeated Reigel. He took Reigel into custody.